The Pandemic Drives New Era of Tech Collaboration

يوليو 22, 2020 ENGLISH اضف تعليق

By Rick Echevarria

Intel and the Entire Technology Industry Have Long Provided Groundbreaking Solutions;Coronavirus is an Unprecedented Catalyst for Collective Innovation in ‘Tech for Good’

One hundred days ago, our CEO, Bob Swan,announced the Intel Pandemic Response

Technology Initiative. Intel would invest $50 million to combat COVID-19 in ways we knew

best: using technology to study and help with the diagnosis of the coronavirus, helping

disrupted educators and students, and supporting innovative new ideas and projects.

I’ve had the privilege of leading this initiative and seeing an extraordinarily committed

group of Intel employees, customers and partners mobilize. In just over three months they

have made possible new and creative uses for our technology to address a range of

challenges. We’ve come a long way, learned a lot and still have much to do. On behalf of

this team – at100 days in – Iwanted to share some of that journey.

More:Intel Response to COVID-19 Crisis (Press Kit)

So far, Intel has partnered with over 100 organizations on close to 200 projects totaling
more than $30 million in contributions – from the original pandemic response to first early steps toward recovery.In those early days, we provided ventilator manufacturers with vital parts. We assisted with the creation of virtual intensive care units.

Today, we’re providing technology and educational content for students who might

otherwise be left behind. We’re aiding businesses as they take the first steps to re-open safely.Andwe’re exploring ways Intel technology and our financial support can be used in

the search for diagnoses, treatments and vaccines.

Our role through the pandemic points out undeniable lessons: Technology used to its

potential can save lives and change lives. No one can solve these problems alone. And we will never thrive as we once did if we don’t work with our customers and our communities

to make our world better after we recover.

Three examplesshow how far we’ve come.

• Telehealth for those who can’t see a doctor and “care at a distance” for those who are

highly contagious save lives. With the help of supportiveregulations and laws, telehealth puts doctors in contact with patients, even as offices closed.While Providence treated some

of the first U.S. patients with COVID-19 at its hospitals, a seismic change affected its primary care physicians. Inside of a week, more than 7,000 physicians caught up on already operating, but seldom-used,telehealth technology. And within days of that,

Providence saw telehealth visits grow from 50 a day to about 14,000. Since then, the healthcare providerhas been a leader in providing “care-at-a-distance” – frommonitoring ICUs remotely to decrease the risk of infection, to “hospitals at home” that allow for

remote monitoring for those with high-risk complications.

• Public-private partnerships are introducing innovativeways to educate and motivate

students and teachers while school buildings remain closed. New devices and connectivityextend teachers into students’ homes, but keeping lessons fresh and engaging

will be key to educating from a distance.Intel, in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, Lenovo and ViacomCBS,is bringing together technologists, educators and

entertainers in the creation of newcontent that will be built into the curriculum,“What I do for a Living.”This is anincentive-based programthat educators hope will inspire, increase

engagement and shape future careers for students in ourcommunities.

• In Houston, one of the largest and most diverse cities in the country, Intel engaged early.

We joined an effort with partners, including T-Mobile and Microsoft,that spans education, healthcare and smart and resilient city technology – all with the goal of building a vibrant

tech and innovation community, focused on equity and digital literacy. Since 2019, Intel and the City of Houston have delivered smart city solutions through The Ion Smart and

Resilient Cities Accelerator. Water Lens, one of the accelerator’s startups, offers genetic water testing technology. Water Lens has secured a City of Houston pilot program to

rapidly test for COVID-19 in wastewater, which could help determine the community’s true infection rate.

As we’ve moved through the lifecycle of pandemic response, it’s obvious the coronavirus

has changed society, industry and Intel.Historic calls for change (the end to acts of racism,

inequity and social injustice) in COVID-19’s shadowillustrate how important the coming few

months will be for all of us in the U.S. and around the world. Collectively, it’s led us at

Intelto recognize severalvital lessons.

Technology and its creative use are needed more than ever: Four months ago, Intel CEO

Bob Swan wrote to our customers: “You provide vital services, tools and infrastructure to

millions of people who are directly struggling with this virus …” Day in and day out, it has

proven true. Inside Intel and with our customers, we’ve broken down silos to move more

quickly than ever. Newly discovered sources oftechnology value, like Providence’s “care at

a distance,” prove to be life-changing as patients and care providers grow comfortable with

them. We’ve thought creatively and pulled together customers to provide services that are

saving lives, educating students and keeping our community infrastructure solid.

Data collaboration and sharing have never been more important: Solving the

challengesbrought to the world bythe coronavirus requires researchers worldwide to work

together. The whole world has become a peer community. There is much we don’t know

about the coronavirus, but with the help of federated learning, researchers are able to

privately share patient data as they collaborate to create a vaccine or treatment program.

They can access a rich world of data to make better decisions and follow groundbreaking

clues, all without breaching privacy laws. Our technology to effectively manage, share and

\collaborate using important data sets has never been as significant as when researchers

are chasing a deadly virus.

Better health will go hand in hand with recovering economies: People’shealth will be

critical to the world’s economic recovery, just as the economic recovery will be key to everyone’s health. Going back to doing things the way we did them before won’t carry over

after the coronavirus is solved.I keep going back to it, but telehealth is a great example. To best realize its benefits,we need to recognize its success and acceptance among people

seeking physician guidance. Only that will allow it to thrive.

As a company, we have learned to operate with more empathy, agility and velocity. We look

at our products not for what we know they can do, but for what they might be able to do in a changed world. Outside of our walls, we have come together in new ways with

customers, partners and the community – and we’ve seen what a difference working together can make when we all think and act creatively.

We won’t forget these lessons. They will shape our approach,as we press forward withour

goals for the next decade.

Life will be different for everyone around the world after the coronavirus is history. Doctors

and patients will communicate from a greater distance. Educators will find lessons in distance learning to make online classes more effective and meaningful. Cures for many

more diseases will come from the private, safe and efficient sharing of data.

Our Pandemic Response Technology Initiative can’t solve all of the challenges we’re facing,

but what we learn and what we teach others after this event will create a strong foundation for the future.It’s inspiring to see howour technology – and that of the broader

high-tech industry – will make enriching lives (even in a world as challenged as it is today) possible.

Rick Echevarria is vice president in the Sales, Marketing and Communications Group and

general manager of the Intel Olympic Program at Intel Corporation. He leads Intel’s

Pandemic Response Technology Initiative.